Halo: The Master Chief Collection Q&A answers fans questions

343 Industries Studio community manager Andy Dudynsky has revealed in a new Q&A that work on the Halo Master Chief collection began “several years ago,” before Halo 4 shipped.

Dudynsky revealed a lot of information in the Q&A, such as the fact that not only will The Master Chief Collection arrive at retail, but will also launch as a digital download, with all of the same bonus extras.

Later on in the Q&A he also confirmed that spectator mode is being dropped.

“By leveraging the Xbox One platform we’re able to take advantage of Twitch functionality to provide a spectator experience that will allow online players to stream their matches, speedruns, Forge sessions and more. However, there is not a dedicated in-game specific spectator mode.”

Other information revealed that Halo 2 will come with post-patch multiplayer.

“We are making huge investments to deliver a premium experience at 1080p, 60 fps,” he said. “Having said that, the original game had a lot of dependencies running at 30 fps so we are focusing on making sure Halo 2 plays the way it did “post-patch.” Gameplay will feel the way you remember it.”

Finally he also revealed that it is not coming to Xbox 360.

“We do not have any plans to bring the game to Xbox 360 as the game size, enhanced features and technical specifications simply can’t support it.”

There is a lot more than what's above to read, so if you want to read the full Q&A then you can do so below.

Question: Will Halo: The Master Chief Collection be available for download on the Xbox One Marketplace?

-RRUINER

Answer: Yes! Access to the live action digital series Halo: Nightfall and the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta will also be available with the digital version.

Q: What about the new H2A engine for multiplayer? Will the Anniversary maps be included in the Halo 2 rotation?

-The Little Moa

A: Halo 2 Anniversary (with gameplay on the six reimagined Halo 2 maps) will have dedicated experiences in Matchmaking at launch. We’ll have more to share on playlist specifics later this summer.

Q: Can you clarify what's going on with control schemes?-The Little Moa

A: We are currently finalizing control schemes, but we can say that we’ll have universal schemes that work across all games, as well as dedicated control schemes for each game. If you loved Halo 2’s default scheme but play Bumper Jumper in Halo 3, you’ll be able to use these for each corresponding title.

Q: Will there be updates to the way menus/settings are navigated? For example, being able to change settings in a custom game lobby, etc.-Lady SiegecornA: Halo: The Master Chief Collection will utilize a single, unified "Master Menu" to manage campaign and custom games.

Q: What version of Halo 2 will be included? Is it "pre-patch multiplayer?"-WulfwoodsSins

A: We are making huge investments to deliver a premium experience at 1080p, 60 fps. Having said that, the original game had a lot of dependencies running at 30 fps so we are focusing on making sure Halo 2 plays the way it did “post-patch.” Gameplay will feel the way you remember it.

Q: How exactly does matchmaking work? Will there be a filter or something that allows me to play just Halo 2 matchmaking? And so on for the other games.-GNRL PATTEN

A: We’ll have more to share on Matchmaking at a later date, but we can say that we’ll have playlists that offer multiple games, as well as dedicated experiences for separate games.

Q: Will you be adding a spectator mode to The Master Chief Collection?-Blurrance

A: By leveraging the Xbox One platform we’re able to take advantage of Twitch functionality to provide a spectator experience that will allow online players to stream their matches, speedruns, Forge sessions and more. However, there is not a dedicated in-game specific spectator mode. While we understand the importance and versatility of a dedicated spectating system, we’re confident that Twitch functionality will make it easy for anyone to share gameplay at any time while playing The Master Chief Collection.

Q: How will armor permutations work across all games? Will everything be unlocked from the start?-Cpt Obvious2816

A: We’re still in development, but we’ll have more to share on customization as we get closer to launch. Q: How's Backwash from Halo 2 running? -Ozzy Onya A2Z

A: More musky and damp than you even remember.

Q: How long has The Master Chief Collection been in development?-TeK x Fernplant

A: We started thinking about exactly how we were going to debut on Xbox One several years ago, prior to releasing Halo 4.

Q: Will Forge for The Master Chief Collection be a 'unified' experience or will there be a separate Forge application for each applicable Halo title?-DEEP NNN

A: We’ll be able to share more about Forge specifics in the coming months. For now, we can confirm that Halo 3, Halo 4, and the six re-mastered Halo 2 Anniversary maps will be Forgeable.Q: Is there going to be Join-in-Progress for any of the games?-Death31133

Q: Will Halo: The Master Chief Collection include all the multiplayer maps from Halo 1&2 on the PC?-Lx Predator

A: Halo: The Master Chief Collection features every multiplayer map ever released in Halo 1-4; on console and PC.

Q: Will each game have their original individual title screens?-EmkMage

A: Halo: The Master Chief Collection has a single, unified “Master Menu” rather than individual title screens. However, we will provide unique experiences for each title that capture the spirit of each original game.

Q: Will Halo 4 have the complete Spartan Ops?-DIABLOxHITMAN

A: Yes, all of Halo 4’s Spartan Ops missions will be included in the game.Q: Who is better at Halo: CE, you or Quinn?-Haemorrhage

A: I am much better than Quinn at Halo: CE.

Q: Will we be seeing terminals or things like them in the anniversary edition of Halo 2? -Theos tou Puma

A: Yes! Halo 2: Anniversary will indeed feature new terminals where players will have the opportunity to delve deeper into the universe and find key hints about future Halo games and experiences.

Q: Will there be a PC version of Halo: The Master Chief Collection at some point in the future? -Beats By Die

A: Our current focus is on the release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One.

A: Ranked and social playlists are something we’re carefully approaching and thinking about. As mentioned prior, we’ll be able to discuss ranking and philosophy in the next few months.

Q: Could the collection be developed on Xbox 360?-xXLJSpartacusXxA: We are dedicated to bringing a full and fun experience to Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One, providing you with dedicated servers, a unified interface, increased visual fidelity, and gameplay running at 60 fps. We do not have any plans to bring the game to Xbox 360 as the game size, enhanced features and technical specifications simply can’t support it.

Q: Can we still play local co-op and campaign?-GravemindX2401

A: Yes, campaign co-op play will be supported across all four titles, both online and split-screen. In addition, we will be changing to a horizontal view for the split-screen multiplayer for Halo 2: Anniversary. The campaign co-op breakdown is as follows:

A: We’re still in development, but the goal is to include all original custom game options in each game.

Q: Can I play as an Elite? Wort wort wort!-random king007

A: As mentioned at the Xbox Press Briefing, playable Elites are back! Halo 2, Halo 2: Anniversary, and Halo 3 multiplayer will all feature the return of playable Elites.

Q: Will Halo 2: Anniversary have button combos, such as BXR? -KitKat The Fox

A: The original Halo 2 multiplayer and campaign will still have BXR and similar button combos. The 6 new maps are built upon a modified engine for Xbox One, so some of these button combos/glitches will not work as they did in the original. Rest assured, we are working very hard to match the original experience as closely as possible on this engine.

Q: Which six Halo 2 maps are being remastered?-CAVEMANcr

A: As you know, we revealed Ascension at E3 - stay tuned for news on the other five maps starting this summer!

Q: In the E3 game demo for H2A we saw the return of a few medals from Halo 4. Were those placeholders or will Halo 4's medals be present in H2A's multiplayer?-CAVEMANcr

A: The gameplay we showed on stage at E3 was a work in progress build, and as you’d expect, some of the items and assets on screen were indeed placeholder.

Q: Would you guys consider doing community events where you play with the community? -About1337Mouses

A: Absolutely! We’ll certainly be organizing community playdates, and most of us will be online every day this fall! Seriously.

Q: In Halo: Combat Evolved, will the option to create names only be in LAN mode, or will we be able to do the same on Xbox Live too?-MatQmatical

A: When playing on Xbox Live, you’ll be playing as your Xbox Live gamertag.

Q: Will you be tracking game statistics for Halo 1, 2 and 3? If so, will they be separate and viewable on Halo Waypoint?-Noogatuck

A: We aren’t revealing all details just yet, but yes, Halo Waypoint will support stats for all games.

No Halo 2 remaster on 360 really is a crock of shit tbh. Leaving it as the only Halo not available on 360 is a real slap in the face to those of us who don't want an Xbox One.

Danny_936
2 years ago

Well looks like ill be getting this on demand (sorry shopto), sounds to good to be true, dedicated servers, 60fps, 1080p, no joining progress (so annoying joining losing games on cod ect), ranked n social playlists (ranked playlist is why i played halo 3 for nearly 3 years), a real ranking system like halo 2 n halo 3 (the reason why there still more popular then halo reach n halo 4), looks like i wont be buying cod advanced or battlefield hard line, back to the good old days of halo and all for £50 :)

Loli-Nox-Tan
2 years ago

Never said No to PC

da_kerr
2 years ago

I'm a little alarmed that one of the Xbox One games I'm most excited about is a remaster of a series of games I already own haha. Just feels a bit odd lol. I do have to agree with Prometheus about Halo 2 not coming to 360, but I guess they're hoping it might help twist the arms of some people to adopt the X1.

Danny_936
2 years ago

Question: Does anybody know if the pre order bonuses (halo skulls) are region free codes? As I really want the GameStop US store pre order incentive, the bandana skull which provides unlimited ammo and grenades throughout all the entire Halo campaigns and seems like the best pre order incentive compared to others, here took a look...

Danny_936
2 years ago

http://teambeyond.net/halo-master-chief-collection-pre-order-bonuses/

Zombieflamingo
2 years ago

Thats a strange on, dont you normally unlock the skulls by playing the game? Gamestop have a UK site as well so they may get it there.

Davvy
2 years ago

Really looking forward to playing this game :)

Im Going Space
2 years ago

prometheus you can just buy an orginal copy for 99p and play that on 360, OR download it
Yes all xbox ones are region free, so the codes are too

Danny_936
2 years ago

Gamestop UK have no metion of the Bandana skull unlike Gamestop US, ill just the risk n buy the Bandana skull code of ebay US and if it dosnt work then unlucky i guess.

Zombieflamingo
2 years ago

It seems a bit excessive for a cheat though each to their own. They will probably releases them after release anyway.